Customs Hold on Your Container? Here’s What to Do

Few emails make an importer’s stomach drop like “your container has been placed on hold by CBP.” Holds and exams are a normal part of importing — but the meter starts running the moment your box stops moving. Understanding what kind of hold you’re facing, what it typically costs, and what you can (and can’t) do will save you money and stress.

Why CBP holds containers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection screens every import shipment against risk criteria: the importer’s history, commodity type, country of origin, document consistency, and random selection. A hold doesn’t mean you did something wrong. New importers, new supplier relationships, and flagged commodity categories simply get looked at more often.

The main types of holds and exams

Manifest hold

Placed before or on arrival, usually because of document questions — a vague cargo description, mismatched shipper details. Often resolved with corrected paperwork.

VACIS / NII exam (X-ray)

The container is driven through a non-intrusive X-ray scanner at the terminal. Least invasive and usually adds a few days.

Tailgate exam

Officers open the container doors at the terminal and inspect what’s visible. More involved than an X-ray, less than a full devan.

Intensive exam (CES exam)

The container is trucked to a Centralized Examination Station (CES), fully devanned, and physically inspected carton by carton. This is the expensive one: drayage to the CES, unloading and reloading labor, exam fees, and storage all bill to the importer, commonly $1,000–$3,000+ per container, plus one to two weeks of delay.

Agency holds (FDA, USDA, FWS, CPSC)

Partner agencies can hold regulated goods — food, drugs, plants, wildlife products, consumer goods — independent of CBP. These follow their own timelines and release paperwork.

What to do when a hold hits

• Confirm the hold type first. Your customs broker can see the hold codes. The response to a manifest hold (fix documents) is completely different from a CES exam (arrange logistics and wait).
• Respond to information requests same-day. Most document holds sit idle waiting on the importer, not CBP.
• Watch free time at the terminal. Demurrage typically starts after four to five free days, and exams routinely outlast free time. Ask your broker whether an extension is realistic; budget as if it isn’t.
• Don’t book delivery appointments until release. Canceled trucking appointments add fees on top of exam costs.
• Keep records of everything. Exam history affects your risk profile; clean, fast responses help future shipments.

What you can’t do is rush CBP. No broker, forwarder, or warehouse can “expedite” an exam — anyone promising that is overpromising.

Reducing future holds

Consistent, accurate commercial invoices and descriptions; correct HTS classification; established supplier records; and participation in programs like CTPAT over time all lower exam frequency. Working with an experienced local team helps too — our U.S. customs services team coordinates daily with brokers and the port community in Miami.

After release: move fast

Once released, your container is still accruing terminal time. Having a warehouse minutes from the Port of Miami means the box is picked up, devanned, and inventoried the same day. If cargo needs to be segregated, inspected for damage after an exam, or stored in bond while duties are sorted out, a bonded warehouse or container freight station gives you options a terminal doesn’t.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a customs hold last?
X-ray exams typically add 2–5 days; intensive CES exams commonly add 7–14 days depending on port volume. Agency holds vary widely by agency and commodity.

Who pays for a customs exam?
The importer pays all exam-related costs — drayage to the exam site, devanning labor, exam fees, storage, and any demurrage — even when the exam finds nothing wrong.

Can my warehouse or broker speed up an exam?
No. Exam queues are controlled by CBP and the exam station. What partners can do is respond to document requests instantly and move the container the moment it releases.

Container releasing soon in Miami? Get same-day devanning and storage near the port.